Cylon Basestar (RDM)
The Cylon Basestar are a type of starship that feature in Battlestar Galactica.
Contents |
History
The Cylon Basestar was a series of vessels created by the Cylon race.
William Adama witnessed him being "created" in biological experiments before the destruction of the Twelve Colonies. The Old Hybrid was protected by a sect of old Cylon Centurions called the "Guardians". He claimed to have the gift of prophecy and is far more lucid than newer models.
Overview
Their organic based nature leads to a basestar's ability to "heal" itself of battle damage. A severely damaged basestar regenerates its damaged and truncated "spokes" over a set period of time.
Basestars are designed to make FTL jumps, they are equipped to deploy large-scale strikes with nuclear and conventional ordnance. Basestars are biomechanical entities, with fleshy "hangars" to house Raiders. Basestars are, however, capable of carrying other Cylon models, as crew, within them.
The Basestar's internal functions are controlled by a part-biological, part-machine central computer system known as the Hybrid. The biological part of the Hybrid is a female humanoid Cylon-like being, housed inside an immersion tank similar to a Cylon re-birthing tank and attached to the mechanical part of the Basestar computers by umbilicals. The Hybrids do not have a completely human body, but rather appear to be more like cyborgs, consisting of conduits and other connectors mated to, or in place of elements of their bodies. The Hybrid is not one of the "twelve models" of humanoid Cylon, but is a separate model that is essentially another stage in "evolution" from fully mechanical Centurion, to partially biomechanical Raider, to humanoid Cylon. Hybrids are similar to the autonomous biomechanical pilots within Raiders, specially constructed as living computers that manage the autonomic functions of the Basestar, including navigation and FTL jumps, climate control, and the like. The Hybrids are so integrated into the Basestar's functionality that they are, for all practical purposes, the Basestar. The Hybrid is revealed to be capable of having its own opinions and thoughts, but does not have a say in decisions made by the humanoid Cylon models. The humanoid Cylon models control the Basestar via "control panels" in the Basestar's Control Room that are made up of a red flowing substance that seems to take the commands to the Hybrid itself. The Hybrid speaks strange, seemingly random phrases, which most Cylons interpret as the nonsensical babbling of a deranged mind. However, the Leoben Conoy model of Cylons believe that every word the Hybrid speaks means something, and that the Cylon god speaks through the Hybrids. The Caprica Model Six Cylon, however, has given an alternate explanation: the Hybrids do not perceive their existence in the same way as normal beings. They possess an expanded awareness of being one entity existing in space as well as perceiving all activity in their basestar's interior. The Hybrid may also express the state of the ship physically, as demonstrated when one has a physical reaction during an FTL jump, similar to an orgasm.
The role and performance of the basestars indicate that they are not nearly as well armored or armed as battlestars. Although they possess formidable missile-based offensive weaponry, their defensive capabilities appear limited entirely to their Raiders. Basestars appear to have no kinetic-energy weapons equivalent to those found on Colonial warships. Deprived of their Raiders, basestars are extremely vulnerable to Colonial warships. In contrast, while the Galactica is heavily dependent on its Vipers for defense, it is heavily armored against nuclear and conventional weapons and has several batteries capable of maintaining a much higher volume of fire than a basestar can achieve. Additionally, a basestar appears to be much less maneuverable than a battlestar. It is possible to surmise that the design of a basestar is intended to exchange armor, firepower, and maneuverability for additional space in which to store Raiders. Battlestars, conversely, trade size for increased maneuverability, firepower, and armor. It is also possible that basestars are purposefully not constructed to be extremely durable, as Cylon resurrection techniques make the preservation of individual vessels less important than the mortal Colonials.
Notes
Appearances
- Battlestar Galactica:
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